In a thrilling NASCAR Xfinity race at Las Vegas, Aric Almirola emerged victorious against Connor Zilisch, securing his 10th career win and third of the 2025 season. The former Cup driver seized the lead after Zilisch struggled with a loose race car, making door-to-door contact with Almirola down the backstretch. Despite Zilisch's attempts to regain control, Almirola maintained his lead until the end.
Almirola's victory was a hard-fought one, as he expressed his gratitude, "Thank you God, this is such an incredible opportunity." He dedicated his win to Coach Gibbs and the honor of racing for an owner's championship with JD Gibbs' name on the car. The race was filled with excitement, as Almirola's car tightened up during the race, and he had to fight to regain momentum after being slowed down by Nick Sanchez. But he eventually caught up to Zilisch, capitalizing on his loose car.
The race saw a close finish, with Zilisch in second, followed by Justin Allgaier, Corey Day, and Nick Sanchez. Day celebrated his first career top-five finish, an impressive achievement in just his ninth start. Meanwhile, Jesse Love, who was in contention for the win for most of the race, finished sixth and was later involved in a heated post-race disagreement with Nick Sanchez.
The early stages of the race were action-packed. Allgaier started from pole position, and the first caution was called for debris. Love attempted a three-wide pass for the lead but was unsuccessful, allowing Almirola to win the first stage, followed closely by Zilisch and Love. In the second stage, Love won the race off pit road but couldn't hold off Almirola, who reclaimed the lead. Tense side-drafting and contact between Zilisch, Love, Allgaier, and Hill added to the drama, with Hill making an incredible save in Turn 3.
Almirola swept the stages, with Love and Zilisch close behind. In the final stage, Almirola took the lead from Zilisch with 94 laps to go, but Love soon caught up and took the lead with 59 laps remaining. After pitting, Almirola aggressively repassed Love, only for Love to reclaim the top spot with a stellar pit stop. The battle for the lead intensified with Love, Zilisch, and Almirola, but Zilisch finally got Love loose in traffic and took the lead, only for a caution to be called due to Dean Thompson's spin.
The final restart with 23 laps to go saw Zilisch get away cleanly, but Almirola stayed close, setting up a nail-biting finish. And this is where it gets controversial—the race ended with a photo finish, leaving fans and commentators debating who truly deserved the win. Was it Almirola's persistence or Zilisch's early lead that should have been the deciding factor? The debate rages on, and we want to hear your thoughts! What do you think was the key to Almirola's victory? Share your opinions in the comments below!
